This scenario was inspired by the Mtsnensk scenario that appeared in CPQ5.
This is my take on events on the 6th of October. For the most part version two
is based upon the account of the battle in T-34 The Legendary Weapon.

The First Guards Rifle Corps was a hastily formed unit thrown together in order
to slow down the German's southern thrust on Moscow. Guderian's 24th Panzer
Corps was attacking up the Orel to Mtsnensk road with little between it an the
Soviet capital. Elements of the 1st Guards were thrown in the way of the Panzers
in order to buy time for the Russians to build a coherent defence at Mtsnensk.

There were skirmishes between advancing German units, Soviet remnants and the
lead elements of the 4th Tank Brigade on the 4th and 5th of October. The Russian's
first real attempt to blunt the German onslaught was just south-west of the
town of Voin on the Orel-Mtsensk road. At the core of the Russian defence were
the new T-34 tanks of the 4th Tank Brigade, supported by NKVD troops. Facing
them the Vorausabteilung (forward detachment) of the 4. Panzer Division. The
push to Moscow was about to get a great deal tougher for the Germans

Most of the Soviet forces are deployed on map in the areas delineated by the
pink dashed lines. All Soviet infantry and towed artillery units, that start on
table, are dug in as
are the two BT-7 tanks of 2nd Company 2nd Tank Battalion

The 4th Brigade HQ & HQ Company can be deployed as the Soviet player
sees fit behind the Soviet front line

The Burya Detachment enters the table on turn 8 between points D&E.
They may not enter within 12" & LOS of an un-demoralised German stand. If entry
is impossible it is delayed until it is possible

The Guards Mortars are a Russian reinforcement. the FOs may be placed with the
Katukov or any BHQ of any unit at the start of turn 10. The Katyushka have a maximum
of two shots each

Other Soviet reinforcements enter anywhere between points A&B. They
may not enter within 12" & LOS of an un-demoralised German stand. If entry is
impossible it is delayed until it is possible.
These reinforcements may be rolled for each turn starting turn 6. On the roll
of a 5-6 (d6) the Soviet player may roll on the reinforcement table. If the unit
has already been rolled there is no reinforcement this turn

2nd Company 2nd Tank Battalion 4th Tank Brigade

1st Battalion 4th Guards Rifle Regiment

Battery 111th AT Battalion*

6th Recce Company

Battery 34th Guards Artillery*

Player's Choice

Those units marked with a * have no command. They get a free move on to the
table but before they can move again someone must take command of them.

All reinforcements lose a BMA on the turn they enter the table

German Forces

Most German forces are deployed on table in the areas delineated by the pink
dashed lines. The Brigade Stab and 1 Batterie 11 FlaK Abteilung
must be deployed touching the road

3 Batterie 65 Artillerie Regt is a
reinforcement which enters down road F on turn 6. On turn 6, when
it enters the table it loses a BMA

Terrain Notes

The table represents a 5ft x 6.5ft area if playing 1"=50m

The terrain is fairly open with good fields of fire. The terrain generally
slopes from the east to the west, with the east corner of the map being the
highest point on the table.

The brown dashed lines represent ridge lines. They break LOS an
provide hull down positions for AFV's (except for units touching the dark brown
ridge and the Nebelwerfer FO). The dark brown broken lines around point 235.3
are the highest point on the map. Units touching the dark brown line may see
over all other ridge lines. They may not see over trees and BUA within 10", but
can see over trees and towns further away. Units touching the dark brown line
can fire over friendly stands over 10" from the ridge. There is a 3" "dead zone"
behind trees, BUAs and friendly stands when spotting from the "high" ridge.

The red line up the centre of the map is the Orel to Mtsnensk. road, it is
the only good road on the table. The pink lines are unmade dirt roads,
they do not give road bonuses. There
will be intermittent scrub along the road margins (2" "blobs" about 6-8"
apart)

The green areas are open woods. Half speed for vehicles and
man-handled guns no impediment for personnel.

The blue line is the Lisiza River and is un-crossable except at the bridge.

The grey squares are open BUA. These give -2 cover for personnel
stands, however vehicles and towed guns within get no cover. There are no ROF
restrictions. On the
original map most of Seprenevskoe appears to be made up of long buildings, perhaps
chicken sheds?

The sandy shaded area with the green border is a deep wide ravine,
filled with scrub. The ravine takes 1 BMA to enter and 1 BMA to exit for
personnel and (half) tracked vehicles. It is impassable for wheeled vehicles and
manhandled guns When in the ravine a stand cannot be fired at (except from
dark brown ridge, but not by NbW) except by another in the same ravine that can
trace a LOS that never goes out of the ravine or a stand touching the ravine
that can trace a LOS that never goes out of the ravine. Movement along the
ravine is half speed for tracked vehicles and infantry, 1/4 speed for wheels and
manhandled guns. Stands in the ravine get +1 cover. Max visibility along the
ravine is 6". Stands in the ravine can not shoot out except against stands
touching the ravine edge. Stands in the ravine do not block line of fire for
stands outside the ravine..

The sandy shaded areas (with no border) are gullies. These provide medium (-2) cover to infantry
and class I guns within. Personnel are unimpeded crossing. Tracked and half
track vehicles take a BMA to cross. Manhandled guns and motorcycles take a BMA
to enter the gully and a BMA to leave it.

Air Support

The Luftwaffe shot its bolt and bombed a bunch of Soviet dummy
positions before the game starts. The VVS was active. The Soviet player may roll
from turn 6 onwards. On a 7+ (d10) the Soviets get an I-16 or LaGG-3 light
attack aircraft

Special Rules

The German attack starts at 11:00am, the game lasts 13 turns. At the end of
turn 13 roll d10. On a 6+ there is a 14th turn

Before and after the battle the weather was inclement in the extreme but the
day of the battle seems to have been reasonable clear.

The FO
for the I Abteilung 53 Nebelwerfer Regiment is on a hill
(point 213.7) about 500m off the German table edge. They have LOS as if on a
dark brown "high" ridge (but not in to the ravine). They cannot see
over ridge PQ on
table. When measuring spotting measure from point F and add 10" to the on table
range.

Guards Mortar FO's can only call fire if
within 2" of Katukov or an Soviet BHQ

Victory Conditions

Victory is determined after the end of the last turn

The Germans win a major victory if they capture control the main road BF.
This means that there should be no Soviet stands in good morale touching the
road.

The Germans win a minor victory if they capture T-Junction X. This means that
they must have more stands in good morale than the Soviets within 6" of the
centre of the junction

The Russians win a minor victory if they prevent the Germans achieving their
objectives.

The Russians win a major victory if they capture the Lisiza River Bridge at
point F. The Soviets must have troops in good morale touching the bridge and the
Germans may not. This condition trumps the German minor victory condition.

Good morale means not shaken and no demoralised

Historical Outcome

The 4th Tank Brigade gave the Germans a bloody nose. Although German casualties
were probably less than the Russians claimed the Germans were shocked by the
cleverly coordinated defence. This was one of the first times the Russians had
managed to used their T-34 tanks en-mass. The German attack recoiled and Guderian
spent two days stalled, licking his wounds, and re-supplying.

During the battle the Katukov the 4th Tank Brigade's commander made extensive
use of dummy positions. These completely fooled the Germans absorbing the initial
Stuka strikes and the preparatory artillery fires (these take place before the
start of the scenario)